Bound by Betrayal (The Mafia King Captive Bride)

Ashley

I couldn’t contain my excitement as I walked into the company, my mind consumed by thoughts of Damien, the man who had completely ravished me the night before. Stepping inside, the usual silence enveloped the workplace, with everyone seemingly pretending to be engrossed in their tasks, acting like they didn’t see the juicy gossip spreading like wildfire on social media.

Without paying any attention to their pretense, I hurriedly made my way upstairs, a wide grin plastered across my face that seemed to irk them. As I approached Damien’s office, I could hear a heated commotion, filled with discussions about killing someone and taking legal action. Initially, I assumed it was just his friends engaging in a heated argument, so without giving it much thought, I forcefully pushed open the door.

And there, look and behold, stood Damien and, to my utter astonishment, my father!

My face twisted into a scowl, a mix of confusion and surprise reflecting in my eyes.

“Da… mien!” I exclaimed, my voice piercing the air and causing both him and my father to turn their heads instantly in my direction.

“D… Dad,” I stammered, my voice trembling with uncertainty. But instead of a warm response, all I received was a sharp, piercing glare from him.

My heart pounded in my chest, my eyes welling up with tears as the fragments of what I had overheard began to form a haunting picture in my mind. Time seemed to stand still as I fixated on Damien, his hands retreating to his pant pocket with a quick, almost guilty motion. A deep sigh escaped his lips, the weight of his actions hanging heavy in the air.

Is he threatening to end my father? Who is taking legal action?

“I’ll make sure you regret this!” My father’s words sliced through the air, his voice dripping with venom. I watched as he locked eyes with Damien, a seething hatred burning in his gaze, before abruptly turning away, his face marked by a trail of simmering anger.

“Never set foot in this place again, Daniel,” Damien growls, his teeth gritted and his fists tightly clenched at his sides. Each word bursts forth from his mouth like a warning, laced with a tone that brooks no argument.

All this while, I couldn’t find the right words to say anything. It was as if I was frozen, my mind spinning in different directions. The person I had a great moment with last night now seemed like a terrifying presence, almost like a dreadful demon. And then, to add to the confusion, my father….. Why is he here?

Why are the two arguing? Why suing and threats?

I was still lost in my thoughts when, out of nowhere, I suddenly felt an intense, furious shove from the side. My heart skipped a beat as I turned to see who it was. And there, standing before me, was none other than my own father! “Dad!” I called out, hoping for some explanation, but he ignored me, continuing to walk away.

Stunned, feeling a mix of confusion and hurt, I leaned against the door for support. My eyes darted between my father, who seemed distant and unresponsive, and then at Damien, whose anger was palpable.

What is going on?

“What happened?” I turned to face Damien, our eyes locking in a moment of shared tension. He let out a heavy sigh. “Damien,” I whispered, fighting against the urge not to believe what I heard earlier.

And without acknowledging my presence, he nonchalantly made his way toward his ashtray, reaching out to grab his cigarette.

“Why is my father here? What the heck happened?” I exclaimed, my voice filled with confusion and frustration. But again, he completely ignored me, turning his back and casually lighting up his cigarette. The scent of smoke filled the air as he puffed it out, seemingly ignoring my presence. Glaring at his back facing me, my anger boiled inside me, my jaw clenched tightly as I made a quick decision. Without another word, I turned on my heels and stormed out of his office.

I know staying in there will not give me the answers that I need but will only annoy the shit out of me.

Thankfully, my dad hadn’t made it far down the corridor yet. “Dad…!” I called out, my voice filled with urgency as I sprinted towards him, desperate to stop him before he could take another step.

“Good… Good afternoon, Dad,” I managed to say, my voice trembling slightly as I took a deep breath, attempting to calm my racing heartbeat. However, the icy glare that met my words sent shivers down my spine, freezing me in place.

“Hmm… Dad,” I cleared my throat, despite the heavy tension in the air. “You seem… I mean, you came,” I stammered, struggling to find the right words.

Hissing, he glared at me and attempted to walk away, but I quickly intercepted him once more. “Dad, please, I miss you,” I pleaded, my voice filled with longing and desperation.

The words had barely escaped my lips when I felt a stinging slap across my face. “Ahh…!” I cried out, clutching my cheeks as hot tears streamed down my face, flowing freely and uncontrollably.

This is the first time my father has ever raised a finger at me. What happened? Did I say something wrong?

“Wh_ what did I do, father?”

“What did you do, huh? What did you do?!” he barked, his furious gaze piercing into me. “Every time you do something stupid, you have the audacity to ask me what you did!”

What is going on?

“F…ather,”

Rubbing the shell of his ear, he let out a regretful sigh, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and disappointment. “I gave you everything, absolutely everything!” he yelled in my face, causing me to flinch involuntarily.

“But all you ever pay me back is with pain and regret,”

“Father,” I stumbled, my voice cracking, as I struggled to find the right words to express my emotions.

“Don’t call me father!” he lashed out at me. “I only have one daughter, which is Olivia!”

What?!

That cunning manipulator…. Really?

I staggered, my gaze widening as pain flashed through my eyes. Olivia……?

“They were right, I shouldn’t have hastily married you off or spent fortunes on you because…” he paused, glaring at me. “You never deserved them.”

He snarled, and I felt my words shatter instantly at his last statement. “Thank you! Now the whole world knows who the new owner of this company is,”

What is he talking about? Wait… The announcement, damn!

Damien should have told him that I wasn’t the one. We had a good time last night, so that means he knows I wasn’t the one, right?

“I didn’t make those announcements, my Instagram account was hacked,” I quickly defended, but he only scowled at me.

“Everyone can’t be lying, stop playing the victim card. I have always believed you but not anymore,” he snarled, taking a step forward, and I instinctively took a step back. “All thanks to you, I’ve been banned from the company I built from scratch,” he exclaimed angrily.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Dad, please, just believe me,” I cried out, tears streaming down my cheeks and smudging my makeup.

“I regret having you as a child, Ashley Albrecht,” he spat in disgust, his tone filled with regret.

“Please, Dad…” The word had barely left my lips when I felt him angrily push me out of his way. I staggered, losing my balance and falling to the ground.

I wanted to scream at him, to tell him everything that had happened. The truth… everything! The weight of it all was crushing me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to let it all out.

But as I watched him walk away, tears welled up in my eyes. I wanted to pour out my heart to him, to share the pain I was going through, and to explain the betrayal that led me into this mess. I wanted him to understand what his so-called beloved daughter had done to me. But deep down, I knew that nobody would believe me, not even him.

Though I believed the only way to restore the trust and love that we once shared is by securing ownership of this company for him…… The thought of it brought a solitary tear to my eye.

How will I do that now?

Not when those old gray eyes that I cherished so much while growing up no longer held the same love for me. Instead, they were now filled with an overwhelming sense of hatred and disgust.